NO WARNING: Hit "like skittles" by out-of-control driver

by cmorton

Clair Morton
Journalist
Although I’ve moved around a bit, I’m a Queensland girl at heart with a love of the ocean and the mighty maroons. Since moving to Grafton earlier this year I have fallen in love with the Valley lifestyle. The best part of my job here is getting to know the locals and putting their stories on paper; there is always something going on and so many people with interesting tales to tell.

AS PAUL Reid lay his head on the pillow of his swag in the Dalmorton State Forest, he never dreamed that in the next 24 hours his world would be turned upside down.

The next thing the Warwick beekeeper remembers is waking up a week and a half later in the intensive care unit of John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.

"I was hearing these voices and seeing shapes and seeing blurred people around me, and I felt the touch of the nurses, but I had no focus," the apiarist told The Daily Examiner this week.

"Apparently when they first brought me out of the coma, I was rabbiting on about being at McDonald's so they put me back under and woke me up the next day."

One of three victims of December's shocking hit and run, Mr Reid sustained life-threatening injuries that included a smashed pelvis, five cracked ribs and bleeding.

EMERGENCY: A man, believed to be in his fifties, has been airlifted to Coffs Harbour Hospital with life-threatening injuries following a fail to stop incident at Dalmorton.Frank Redward

It took two hours for ambulance services to locate him and his colleagues, who had been tending to beehives on a forest track when the incident happened.

"From what I understand of my injuries (I could have died) at virtually any stage," he said.

"It took 13 hours for me to be stabilised at Coffs Harbour before airlifting me to the intensive care unit.

"Then they waited an extra day for (the surgeon) to show up; with the mess I was in I needed the best to work on me to put me back together."

Nine hours on the operating table and several medical screws later the long journey to recovery began.

Now in Warwick Base Hospital, where he celebrated his 55th birthday with friends last week, Mr Reid is only just regaining the use of his legs.

It wasn't until he saw photos of himself at the crash site that he realised just how far he'd come.

"Ray Clarke (who was also injured by the car) showed me his iPad with all these photos and I just looked at it and thought 'wow'," he said.

"It's only seeing myself lying there that I know it actually happened to me.

"It's sort of detached because I can't remember it happening.

"The nurses and doctors are saying it's probably a good thing that I have no memory at all."

To the person responsible for his horrific injuries, Mr Reid said he only thought about them in passing but hoped they were brought to justice soon.

"There is no anger or rage from my point of view; the only comments I can make is the sooner he's found and brought to justice the better, because someone who drives in such a manner is a danger to man, beast and property," he said.

"Someone who can hit three people and keep roaring at break-neck speed, someone like that shouldn't be allowed on the road."

As for his own future, the passionate apiarist has a positive outlook and is keen to get back into beekeeping as soon as he can.

"It's in my blood, and I know there's a job waiting there for me when I get out," he said.

Until then, there are still a lot of questions to be answered about Mr Reid's future capabilities.

"I'm still weeks and weeks away from being able to know just what I'm going to be capable of doing," he said.

"There will be changes, but from what I have been told, the physios involved in the rehabilitation can't make any judgement until you're a certain distance along.

"I've got quite a way to go but I'm heading in the right direction. I'm very much looking forward to being upright and independently mobile again."

Fellow beekeeper Ray Clarke recalls fateful Dalmorton expedition

"WE JUST finished having smoko and went back to work, and this fella just ran over us and didn't stop. He just didn't stop."

Unlike Paul Reid, professional apiarist and Warwick Beekeepers Association president Ray Clarke remembers the moment he was hit.

The crash scene where paramedics were required to wear protective clothing

As the head apiarist, the 57-year-old was in charge of the fateful beekeeping expedition to Dalmorton, having travelled there to work for more than 20 years.

With him were five other beekeepers, including Paul and Mr Clarke's 19-year-old niece, who was working for him during her uni break.

They were about 400m off the main forestry track when the Toyota Hilux drove along Pooles Creek Rd. At the cross of Blacksmith Shop Rd, it clipped a parked 4WD and veered into their path.

"There were six of us there, but the three other people weren't anywhere near it," he said.

"The car came down between the trees and the truck."

In seconds, they were knocked down like skittles.

"Click your fingers and it was all over," he said.

"All three of us could have been killed. There was just no room to move."

With Mr Reid bearing the brunt of the injuries, Mr Clarke's son-in-law and another worker rushed to his aid while someone phoned emergency services.

His niece suffered a fractured pelvis and broken collarbone, while Mr Clarke himself was lucky to escape without any broken bones.

He did however have head injuries and pain in his knee and chest, which meant that once he sat down, he couldn't get up.

"I was just hoping (the paramedics) would hurry," he said. "The fella who's still in hospital, he was in a bad way."

When the paramedics did arrive, they were forced to contend with agitated bees as they assisted the injured.

"I think they did an exceptional job," Mr Clarke said.

"I can't give them enough credit, them and the people from the Westpac helicopter."

Now back at work, he said that the incident is still all he can think about.

"It's awful to think that somebody could ever do that," he said.

"(Whoever did it) has all six of us asking questions, we were all shaken up pretty bad."

Police seek information on hit and run

PUBLIC assistance is still being sought in relation to the hit-and-run at Dalmorton on December 9 last year.

Ballina Crash Investigation Unit's Senior Constable Mark Fogerty said that while the team was following a number of leads, they were seeking further information about the offending vehicle.

The vehicle has been described by witnesses as an early model (possibly 1990-95) white Toyota Hilux, with a black bullbar, raised suspension and mud terrain tyres.

Police have been told the vehicle was fitted with a short length aluminium tray that had a black tubular ladder rack bar fitted to it.

As a result of the collision, the rear aluminium tray and the driver's side mirror sustained significant damage with sections of the tray floor, the side rails and ladder rack becoming detached.

Remnants of the aluminium tray left at the scene indicated it had black spray paint one side of it, which was translucent.

Members of the public who may have seen such a vehicle, most likely before it sustained any damage, are encouraged to phone CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000 or the Ballina Crash investigation unit on 6681 8618.

"We're asking people to think about any vehicle with a similar description that they used to see all the time which may have gone missing in action or had its tray changed since December," Constable Fogerty said.